Nearby Theaters

The Victoria Theatre was opened on January 12, 1914. In 1924 it was renamed Carolina Theatre. In the 1941 & 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook, the Carolina Theatre is listed as being operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. thru their subsidiary H.F. Kincey. The Carolina Theatre is listed at 131 Market Street in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.

Later renamed Colony Theatre, it was also one of several movie theatres located on Market Street in downtown Wilmington that were operated under the Stewart and Everett Theatre chain (which also operated the Bailey Theatre and the Manor Theatre).

Chuck, You are correct, it is “Bye Bye Birdie” (the 1963 movie) as the main attraction. I didn’t spot that (late at night here in the UK!) and I noticed the neoned letters on the advertising above the marquee, similar to how many London live theatres advertise. What I noticed more was the banner sign above the entrance advertising “Little Red Riding Hood” (Matinees Only). I was not aware of a film title of this children’s story, and presumed it to be a live production. However, searching IMD there was an animated movie of LRRH made in Spain in 1960, which was released in a dubbed version in the USA in 1963. So I was incorrect regarding the ‘live theatre’ use.

Incidently, there was an XXX Adult version of “Little Red Riding Hood” made in 1988, but that’s way off!

My two cents: Stewart & Everett never owned The Bailey. Stellings & Gossett owned four drive-ins (Starway, North 17, Wrightsville Rd. & Skyland) and The Manor in Wilmington. I don’t know who owned The Colony but when Stewart & Everett bought Stellings & Gossett they also purchased (or possibly leased) The Colony about 1960-61. Per Beverly Tetterton’s book “Wilmington: Lost But Not Forgotten” the three names of this theatre beginning in 1913: Victoria, Carolina, Colony. However, Beverly gets the year wrong as to when Stewart & Everett came into The Colony’s history. Mr. Roe – kiddy shows were a huge draw and Daddy (Edward Marks) played those up big! (He painted all the banners & did many of the cut-out letters on the marquee) They gave away nice prizes at some of the kids shows (like a bicycle, record player, camera) and often tied in with local soft-drink bottlers/distributers for discount (or free) admission (like bring 6 Royal Crown bottle caps & get in free). I have so many pictures (mostly of the marquee) from this time period. I hope to scan at least a few more & get them to my flickr site soon.

I was wrong! My mother insisted that The Bailey was never owned by Stewart & Everett and she was right in that it was never owned by them when she lived in Wilmington. At some point, I do not know when, The Bailey was operated (but probably not owned) by Stewart & Everett as I have seen it listed in some promotional literature for the managers of this chain from the 1970s.

This house opened January 12, 1914, as the Victoria Theatre. It was designed by architect Burett H. Stephens, who had designed Wilmington’s first purpose-built movie house, the Bijou, opened in 1912. After closing in 1924, the Victoria was remodeled and reopened as the Carolina Theatre the following year.

The latest mention I can find of the Carolina Theatre in Boxoffice dates from December 13, 1952, and the earliest mention of the Colony I’ve found is from November 9, 1954, so the name was changed between those dates.

There is a page about the Victoria in the “Going to the Show” section of the University of North Carolina’s DocSouth project. It links to their page about the Carolina, but I don’t see anything there about the house as the Colony.

Boxoffice of November 25, 1974, recaps the history of the Victoria/Carolina/Colony in one of two articles about the closing of the house (left column, right-hand page), which took place on October 31 that year. Note that both the Boxoffice article and the UNC’s Carolina Theatre page misspell the architect’s name as Stevens rather than the correct Stephens. Additionally, Boxoffice gives the year of the name change from Victoria to Carolina as 1930, not 1925 as stated at the UNC page.